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Windows Server 2008 Portable Command Guide: Using ntdsutil

Jun 28, 2011

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Windows Server 2008 Portable Command Guide: MCTS 70-640, 70-642, 70-643, and MCITP 70-646, 70-647

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Defragmenting Active Directory

AD performs an online defragmentation every 12 hours by default. This is normally all that's required. However, the online defragmentation does not reduce the size of the ntds.dit database file. If you have significantly fewer objects in AD than you had previously, you can shrink the size of the ntds.dit file by performing an offline defragmentation.

You can use the following steps to compact the database.

Step	Command
1.	Launch a command prompt. Back up system state data with the following command. This command uses the D: drive as the backup target, but you can choose a different target based on your system. wbadmin start systemstatebackup -backuptarget:d: -quiet NOTE The Windows Server Backup feature must be installed for this step to work. TIP Although this step is not required, it ensures that you can recover your DC if something goes wrong. It takes some time to complete.
2.	At the command, type net stop ntds and press Enter. When prompted to stop additional services, press Y to confirm. This stops AD and related services.
3.	Type ntdsutil and press Enter.
4.	Type activate instance ntds and press Enter.
5.	Type files and press Enter.
6.	Type compact to C:\compact and press Enter. You can use any target folder desired (other than C:\compact). Your display should be similar to Figure 12-3.
7.	Type quit and press Enter. Type quit and press Enter again. This returns you to the command prompt. Although the following steps aren't required, they help ensure that you can return to the original configuration if something goes wrong. Create a backup folder named ntdsbu in the root of C by typing md C:\ntdsbu and pressing Enter. Type copy C:\windows\ntds\ntds.dit C:\ntdsbu\ntds.dit and press Enter. NOTE If you moved the ntds.dit file, you need to substitute the C:\windows\ntds folder for the actual location. Type *copy C:\windows\ntds\.log C:\ntdsbu and press Enter**. NOTE These steps create backup files of the ntds.dit AD database and the AD logs. If the ntds service is unable to restart, you can simply copy these files back to their original location.
8.	Type copy C:\compact\ntds.dit C:\windows\ntds\ntds.dit and press Enter. When prompted to confirm the overwriting, type Y for yes.
9.	Type *del C:\windows\ntds\.log and press Enter**.
10.	Type net start ntds, and press Enter. This restarts the ntds service. After it starts, you can launch ADUC to verify that everything still works.

Figure 12-3 Performing an offline defragmentation

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